Tower Toes

pictures from our walk

look how strong I am



:)

driftwood

holding my baby lighthouse

my lighthouse

painting my toes

This morning I was in the video room all morning, from 10 until a little after 12:30. They have a wonderfully done video, but after watching it about 15-20 times I was starting to get a little restless. So, after I hit play I would go into the gift shop for a few minutes and just listen for the end and go back in and talk to the guests. I really really love the video room, and talking with people, but you can only handle the same five minute video so many times in 2 hours.  I’m sure I’ll be ready to watch it again tomorrow when the time comes.

sunset toes

all our toes

After everyone had lunch I had my half day off. So, I headed into Ludington and went to the library where I checked e-mail, facebook, and posted the first 3 blogs. (I hope you enjoyed them J ) I checked out a craft store my aunt had recommended but didn’t buy anything. I decided I don’t really need any new craft projects when I’m leaving in a few weeks.

I came back to the lighthouse and helped them close up, then we had crock pot lasagna one of the ladies made. It was super delicious. After cleaning up we took a walk on the beach and took pictures of us holding the lighthouse. It was fun. Hopefully one turned out and  I can post it for you to see.

this might be my favorite sunset toes

It was looking to be a beautiful night, and they were talking about going to the top to see the sunset. I told Cindy and Dorothy I was planning on painting my toenails at the top while watching the sunset. Really, how many people can say that they have painted their toes at the top of a lighthouse??? So, they looked at the colors I brought and decided they would paint theirs too. I removed my old color while in my room, and then we climbed to the top. It was so much fun painting my toes while watching the sun go down. I painted mine purple and added a little pink and gray plaid on top. Cindy chose blue and said her toes had never been blue before. Dorothy chose a light purple that turned out super cute. We took pictures of our toes at the 92 feet up sign. They turned out super cute. I added flowers to Dorothy’s and Cindy’s which was tricky because I’ve never done designs on someone else before. They turned out pretty cute though. I took some pictures with my toes against the bars with the sunset in the background. I think they turned out pretty cute. What do you think?

with the light on

By the time we were ready to come down the light had come on in the tower. So, I climbed up the ladder guests aren’t allowed to go up and they took my picture from the outside with me and the lens behind me. Then, they had me pretend to trim the wick like the lighthouse keepers would have had to do back when it was a functioning kerosene light.



fixing the light

Tonight they asked me if being a lighthouse keeper was as fun as I thought it would be. So far, it has been everything and more. I love waking up to the sound of waves on the beach, looking out at the beach in my bed in the lighthouse.  I love being able to climb the tower and watch the sunset. I love being able to learn new things about the lighthouse and share that with the guests. I have been fascinated by lighthouses since I was little. I love their history and the lives they saved. Back when they were in use it would be a beacon of hope to those on the ships to guide their way safely to where they were going. I love that I have my own beacon of hope in Christ as he guides and directs me along my path. Living in a lighthouse is amazing. Living with the light inside of me is so much more wonderful!!!!

My first visitors!!!!!!!!!!!



explaining things in the video room

I HAD MY FIRST VISITORS!!!!!!!!!!!!

After we closed the lighthouse today we were getting ready to go into town for dinner. I was helping Cindy get the recycling to take it over to the campgrounds when my phone rang. Which was weird because we usually don’t get signal and last night I couldn’t even get signal in the tower, and tonight it rang while we were in the basement. It was my grandpa saying he was at my car. So, I grabbed a bag of recycling and we went and met them.

He made it to the top so he got a sticker

At the top with my grandpa

I brought them into the lighthouse and showed them the keepers’ quarters where we stay, then down into the gift shop so they could look around. I then took them into the video room and showed them the video and then gave the little spiel about the lighthouse (at least all the facts and things I’ve learned so far. Which, is far greater than the goal of 5 facts per day which would have me at 10 by this evening.) Grandpa wasn’t real sure he wanted to go up with his leg, but I was going to take grandma up so he came along too saying he could stop along the way. Well, they both ended up at the top and so I gave them stickers, opened up the door, and we went out and enjoyed the view and took some pictures. I gave them some more facts about the top and things up there, and then we climbed down. After locking everything back up, we got in my car and drove to town and had dinner at Subway. I took them back to their truck and grandma gave me some raspberries to share. They are so delicious!!!!!!

Can't forget grandma :)

When I got back to the lighthouse we played cards until I was about to fall asleep in my chair. I was so tired. So, I’m really writing this on Thursday morning as I climbed right into bed when we were finished.

Some other fun things that happened today:

·         This morning we had a string of children who were just barely over the 3 foot limit. It was so cute to see them when they got to the bottom. Some were champs and made it the whole way there and back, another one had tears as mom and dad encouraged him to walk the whole way. I almost think the little guys are less scared than the 6-15 year olds because they don’t know they should/shouldn’t be scared of heights.

look at those matching stickers

·         When I was at the top this afternoon the wind picked up about 20 minutes into my shift. I stood at the door and warned everyone of the wind and that they should leave their hats, glasses, and anything else other than cameras inside because of the wind. One guy didn’t listen and wanted to keep his hat. I heard him then tell his wife he almost lost it as he was clutching it in his fist.

·        Another guy from New York was in Michigan with his wife and they were touring lighthouses. He looks at me and says I have a lighthouse question you probably can’t answer. So I said it’s my second day, but I’ll try my best. He then asked about why there were 2 hatches on the way up and I just happened to know that that was to control the draft back when they had a kerosene light. So, I explained it to him and he was really impressed.

·      




So far lighthouse keeping has been everything I imagined it would be and more. I’m really looking forward to the rest of my time here. Learning about the light, relaxing, and sharing my love of lighthouses with the public.

Thanks for reading. Have an amazing day!!!!!!!!!



One of my favorite things at the top is that it says your shoes are 92 feet up. My goal is to get a picture with each of the pairs of shoes I brought at the top. Did you catch the one yesterday?

First day as a lighthouse keeper

This first full day of being a lighthouse keeper has been truly amazing. I woke up this morning to the sound of waves rolling in on the shore of Lake Michigan. I quickly realized I woke up in a lighthouse and was super excited. I had been meaning to read the book they gave us about the lighthouse, but hadn’t gotten around to it the last few weeks as life was just plain busy. So, I decided to read part of it and choose 5 facts to learn for today. The plan was that I would learn 5 facts each of the days I’m here and by the end I would have TONS of information to share with the visitors. However, I was wrong. The learning curve became a lot steeper than 5 facts a day. I’ll get to that in a bit though.

My first 3 hour shift at the top

My lighthouse: Big Sable Point

I got up and took a shower(in the lighthouse!!!!!!) Then I got ready and made my bed and got my room all picked up in case they need to show the keepers quarters to anyone who might want to be a keeper down the road. I ate a peach for breakfast that I brought from when we went to Anderson and girls last week, then went down to learn the ropes of being a lighthouse keeper. As they were getting the computer started I quickly noticed the shirts were a mess in a set of cubbies, so I organized them by size and color and folded them up nice. When it was time to officially open I started off by standing next to the cash register and helping with check out, but then went and started learning how to do the video presentation. I quickly learned so many more facts about the lighthouse just from watching the five minute video, listening to my uncle give the presentation, and reading the things around the room. I was amazed how much I remembered from orientation in April and how quickly some of the facts started coming together in my mind. Don’t worry, I still have MUCH MUCH more to learn over the next 2 weeks. By lunchtime I was running that station by myself. We take turns relieving each other a few at a time to go and eat lunch, and so I didn’t head up til about 1. When I came down I learned how to stock the cooler with drinks, then at 2 I climbed the tower for the first time as a lighthouse keeper. My uncle gave me even more facts to share with guests, and taught me what to do. I really enjoyed talking to guests and sharing things about the lighthouse with them. I congratulated all of them when they made it to the top of the 130 steps and gave them a sticker then answered questions they may have and took lots of family pictures. When I had a lul I read the book some more and learned even more things about the lighthouse and its history. At ten after five the last group went down. I shut the door of the tower and waited til they were at the bottom then swept all of the 130 stairs as I went down them. I don’t think that will end up being my favorite job… but who knows it might grow on me.

pictures from my walk: gulls and plovers

When everything was shut up, we went upstairs and had supper together family style. It was a lot of fun. After supper I helped clean up, then took a walk along the beach and focused on taking pictures of the beautiful things God created, simple pieces of nature’s art. I even took a picture of a bone, and left it on the beach knowing I and the people who saw the picture would be the only ones to ever see it as it would soon be washed into the lake. When I came back to the lighthouse I grabbed my computer and climbed the tower to watch the sunset and type this up. The sun has since set and I just realized I forgot to turn the lights on in the tower. It might be a long, dark climb down… guess I should wrap this up before it gets even darker J

I hope you enjoyed the look into my first day as a lighthouse keeper J Have an amazing day!!!!! I know I did J

shadow

footprints in the sand

a bone I found

tiny lighthouse

memories from someone else's trip



the sunset from the tower



 

 



Arrival at Lighthouse

After a busy day I finally made it to the lighthouse this evening around 7, just in time for the 

The minion welcoming Casey to her new room

 
orientation meeting to start. Let’s recap my day.

1.       I got up and did the chores at the house I was house sitting. That included letting 3 dogs out to pee, feeding them, then out again to poop. One wouldn’t go, so he got let out another 2-3 times until he finally went. I also fed one horse grain, waited for him to eat, then gave all 3 of them hay. I fed the cat, showered, and let the dog out a final time (in which he finally pooped).

2.       I went home and ten minutes after I arrived we left to take Casey to Great Lakes to move in.

3.       I got gas in St. Louis on the way

4.       We got her all registered and moved in and mom and I left by 11:30 to come home.

Casey with some of her stuff in her new room

5.       We picked up Wendy’s and ate at home

6.       I called my aunt and figured out what groceries I was supposed to buy

7.       I packed to spend 2 weeks at the lighthouse in 20 minutes(hope I remembered everything J )

8.       I called 2 different doctors offices

9.       I checked facebook and e-mail in which I had to print a thing to sign up for health insurance(it took about 20 minutes to get it to print

10.   I left home around 3:15 and headed to the lighthouse.

11.   I stopped in Ludington to buy groceries and get gas.

12.   I drove to the state park and I got the key for the gate to get back to the lighthouse

13.   I then drove through 3 different campgrounds looking for the green gate to get to the lighthouse. I found it after about half an hour

14.   I got to the lighthouse just in time to have orientation. After which we decided who would have what day off, and who has what jobs in a medical emergency.

15.   The other keepers helped me bring my stuff up and I unpacked and moved into the lighthouse!!!!!!!!!!!

16.   We played a card game until after 11:30

17.   I went to my room and read a few chapters of a book before going to bed.

This was an extremely crazy and busy day. I drove over 250 miles, got gas twice, and did so much more than should be packed in a day. However, at the end of the day God worked everything out and I’m at the lighthouse and I get to live here for the next 2 weeks. I truly am excited for this time and I can’t wait to see what is in store. I decided that I will try to document some things each day of what I’m doing and learning so that I can have kind of a modern day lighthouse keepers journal. I’ll try to post these as I have time to go to town and get internet, so they may be posted while I’m here, or you may get to read them all at the end. However, whenever you read them, I hope you enjoy them. I’m so excited to be on this amazing 2 week lighthouse keeper journey. I hope that this allows you to share a small part of my experience with me J
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.

Taken for Granted

This morning at church I found myself laughing at something my grandpa said to me during worship between songs. It took at least a slide or two for me to stop giggling and focus on worshiping again. It was a precious moment that I will hold close to my heart forever.

A few minutes later we arrived at the part of service where we take communion. As I was reflecting on what Jesus must have gone through as he died upon the cross I found myself thinking about how often we take things for granted. Sure, I go to church each week and take communion but do I REALLY think about what Jesus went through each time I go through those motions??? As I settled down to pray I thought of the two years I spent in Thailand and what it felt like to be away from a church family for that long. I remembered the first Sunday after I returned and how I cried through most of the service because it was just so wonderful to be back worshiping with my church family. That day I had promised myself to not take the opportunity to worship together for granted. However, now just three months later I found myself starting to head in that direction. How did that happen??? I have started falling into the traps of this world. Traps of selfishness, busyness, and taking things for granted. How do we get out of them when the world keeps pushing us back in?

The best thing I can think of is to give it to God in prayer. So, I asked Him to help me remember these things daily, that each moment with every person I encounter would be special. That this life wouldn't be about me, but what He can do through me. It's a reminder I need daily as I get up and go about my day. We are here on this earth for such a short time, we can't afford to take a single day for granted.

Fellowship

How often do we take fellowship for granted??? While I was in Thailand I CRAVED fellowship. I can count on two hands the number of times I gathered with believers to worship and fellowship over the two years I was in Thailand. One of the things I most looked forward to about coming home was being with other believers (aka fellowship).

I remember the first Sunday being home, I went to church with my family and tears flowed the whole service because it was so good to be in my Father's presence with my church family. While I no longer cry through service I try to not take time with others for granted. I have been able to go back to His House and see my friends and make new ones. I have been able to talk to the Best Years at church and share my journey thus far. I have had numerous one on one conversations with people that were planned and unplanned. I can truly say I have been blessed by each and every one of them.

I have craved this time for two years and I don't want to take it for granted. Today I had a wonderful day full of fellowship. This morning I went to church, and they started a new class for second hour called fellowship. What a blessing for me. They had a quick devotion, and then there were questions on the table if we chose to use them, or we could just have the hour to sit and chat with each other. It was wonderful. Being given time to just sit and catch up with people. What an amazing gift.

After church I came home and we finished getting everything ready for Casey's open house. For over 3 hours some of our family and her closest friends came and helped celebrate her accomplishments in graduating from High School. I was able to catch most people for a few minutes just to chat. I wish I could have had more time to catch up and chat with each and every person who came. However, I'll just be appreciative of the time I did get to spend with them.

After the open house I went to Youth Group. There we sat around a fire pit and chatted, catching up on each other's lives, encouraging each other, and making plans. What a wonderful combination, a nice warm fire, friends and fellowship. You can't spend your Sunday evenings any better way as far as I'm concerned.

I hope that as the summer goes on I can continue to be blessed with fellowship. I hope to be able to continue spending time with people, encouraging and being encouraged. Some of the saddest things I've heard since I got home were people complaining about having to go to church or some other group where they had the opportunity to spend time with other believers. In moments like those I want to interrupt them and show them how lucky and truly fortunate they are to have the opportunity to do these things on a weekly or even better daily basis.

So, my plea for you today is to purposely seek fellowship. Spend time with other believers encouraging each other and just enjoying their company. You won't realize how important  and special it is until you go without it for a time. However, maybe if you sit back and imagine what your life would be like without it for two years you'll realize how special and important it is. I know because I lived without it for two years and it is something I'll never take for granted again...

WILL YOU???

My Co-Pilot

Yesterday I wrote about going to school visits. Now, I want to write about something amazing that happened on the way there and back. Wednesday night I was exhausted. I left the house about 6 and stopped to get gas. As I was getting gas I was tired, I just wanted to sit in the backseat and take a nap. Instead, I was looking at a two hour drive that I was unfamiliar with. I strongly considered calling my uncle and telling him I would drive down in the morning and just go straight to the school. However, I then thought about it and realized that that would require getting up early, driving 2 hours, giving a few presentations, then another 2 hour drive home. Definitely not a good option...

So, I got in the car and headed West. I did the only thing I could think of to do.
I prayed.
          Out loud.
                     In the car.
                                  By myself.
                                              To my Heavenly Father.
For the next two hours I talked to Him just like he was in the seat next to me. The only time I paused was driving through the crazy part around Holland. I was no longer tired. I was alert and paying attention to the road and what was going on around me. I went through 2 towns that didn't have power and prayed for them. I had a conversation with my Father, sometimes I did the talking and sometimes I did the listening. It was refreshing. I felt renewed.

Let me ask you a question, when was the last time you took a chunk of time and talked to your Father out loud, listening and learning, wrapped in His renewing embrace? I don't do it often enough, I know.

However, yesterday as I got ready to drive home after spending the whole day at the school and talking to two classes for a total of more than 3 hours, I was exhausted. I was tired. I didn't feel like making the 2 hour drive home. So, you know what I did??? I picked up where we left off the night before. When traffic got thick and tricky I just asked Him to help me, when we got through it I thanked Him and jumped back into our conversation.

Let me tell you something, with God as the co-pilot of your life you can't go wrong. As we invite Him into each part of our lives He provides for us, He helps us, He gives us the strength and energy we need. He is our All in All and I can't imagine where I would be without Him.

Thank You Jesus for guiding and directing my life :)